Scalable self-regulating circuits comprising trimmable and non-trimmable sections

Abstract

An electrical circuit can include a circuit board having a first portion and a second portion. The electrical circuit can also include at least one first light source disposed on the first portion. The electrical circuit can further include multiple second light sources disposed on a trimmable section of the second portion. The electrical circuit can also include at least one third light source disposed on a non-trimmable section of the second portion. The trimmable section can be trimmed to form a trimmed circuit board. The trimmed circuit board can have disposed thereon a remainder of the plurality of the second light sources. The at least one first light source, the remainder of the plurality of second light sources, and the at least one third light source can be disposed on the trimmed circuit board in such a way as to provide substantially uniform light.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical circuit comprising:
 a circuit board comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion comprises a trimmable section and a non-trimmable section, wherein the circuit board is a first single continuous piece without interruption with respect to the first portion and the second portion when the second portion includes the trimmable section; 
 at least one first light source disposed on the first portion; 
 a power supply disposed on the first portion; 
 a plurality of second light sources disposed on the trimmable section of the second portion; 
 at least one third light source disposed on the non-trimmable section of the second portion; 
 a first current sensor that measures a first current flowing through the first light source; 
 a second current sensor that measures a second current flowing through the second light source; and 
 a first comparator that compares the first current and the second current, 
 wherein the trimmable section is trimmed to form a trimmed second portion and a trimmed circuit board, wherein the trimmed circuit board is a second single continuous piece without interruption with respect to the first portion and the trimmed second portion, 
 wherein the trimmed circuit board has disposed thereon a remainder of the plurality of the second light sources, 
 wherein the power supply, the at least one first light source, the remainder of the plurality of second light sources, the first current sensor, the second current sensor, the first comparator, and the at least one third light source are disposed on the trimmed circuit board in such a way as to provide substantially uniform light when the power supply provides power to the at least one first light source, the remainder of the plurality of second light sources, and the at least one third light source. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the non-trimmable section of the second portion have a same number of light sources. 
     
     
       3. The electrical circuit of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of second light sources comprises the same number of light sources. 
     
     
       4. The electrical circuit of  claim 2 , wherein the trimmable section is configured to be trimmed in multiple locations, wherein each of the multiple locations, when trimmed, yields a different number of the remainder of the plurality of second light sources relative to others of the multiple locations. 
     
     
       5. The electrical circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a switch electrically connected to the remainder of the plurality of second light sources disposed on the trimmed circuit board. 
 
     
     
       6. The electrical circuit of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 at least one first resistor connected in series with the at least one first light source. 
 
     
     
       7. The electrical circuit of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 at least one second resistor connected in series with the plurality of second light sources. 
 
     
     
       8. The electrical circuit of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first comparator operates the switch when a difference between the first current and the second current exceeds a threshold value. 
 
     
     
       9. The electrical circuit of  claim 8 , wherein the switch comprises a MOSFET transistor connected in parallel with the remainder of the plurality of second light sources. 
     
     
       10. The electrical circuit of  claim 8 , wherein the switch comprises at least one of a plurality of switches connected to at least one of a plurality of standby light sources of a standby circuit. 
     
     
       11. The electrical circuit of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of standby light sources of the standby circuit has a first number of light sources that equal the first number of the plurality of second light sources. 
     
     
       12. The electrical circuit of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of standby light sources of the standby circuit corresponds to each of the plurality of second light sources. 
     
     
       13. The electrical circuit of  claim 12 , wherein a trimmed second light source of the plurality of second light sources that is excluded from the remainder disables a corresponding standby light source of the plurality of standby light sources of the standby circuit. 
     
     
       14. The electrical circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one switch connected to the remainder of the plurality of second light sources of the trimmable section, wherein operating the at least one switch reconfigures at least two of the remainder of the plurality of second light sources from parallel-connected to series-connected. 
 
     
     
       15. The electrical circuit of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 at least one diode electrically coupled to the remainder of the plurality of second light sources of the trimmable section, wherein the at least one diode further reconfigures the at least two of the remainder of the plurality of second light sources from parallel-connected to series-connected. 
 
     
     
       16. A linear light fixture comprising:
 an insert comprising a base wall having a first length; and 
 a lighting assembly removably disposed on the base wall of the insert, wherein the lighting assembly comprises:
 a circuit board comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion comprises a trimmable section and a non-trimmable section; 
 at least one first light source disposed on the first portion; 
 a plurality of second light sources disposed on the trimmable section of the second portion; 
 at least one third light source disposed on the non-trimmable section of the second portion; 
 a switch disposed on the non-trimmable section of the second portion; 
 at least one first resistor connected in series with the at least one first light source; 
 a first current sensor that measures a first current flowing through the at least one first resistor; 
 at least one second resistor connected in series with the plurality of second light sources; 
 a second current sensor that measures a second current flowing through the at least one second resistor; and 
 a first comparator that compares the first current measured by the first current sensor and the second current measured by the second current sensor, wherein the first comparator operates the switch when a difference between the first current and the second current exceeds a threshold value, 
 
 wherein the trimmable section is trimmed to form a trimmed circuit board having a second length that is no greater than the first length, 
 wherein the trimmed circuit board has disposed thereon a remainder of the plurality of second light sources, 
 wherein the switch is connected in parallel with the remainder of the plurality of second light sources, 
 wherein the at least one first light source, the remainder of the plurality of second light sources, and the at least one third light source are disposed on the trimmed circuit board in such a way as to provide substantially uniform light. 
 
     
     
       17. An electrical circuit comprising:
 a circuit board comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion comprises a trimmable section; 
 at least one first light source disposed on the first portion; 
 a plurality of second light sources disposed on the trimmable section of the second portion; 
 a first switch; and 
 a second switch, 
 wherein at least a portion of the trimmable section is trimmed away to generate a trimmed second portion, 
 wherein a subset of the plurality of second light sources are disposed on the trimmed second portion, 
 wherein the first switch and the second switch are connected to the subset of the plurality of second light sources, wherein operating the first switch and the second switch reconfigures at least two of the subset of the plurality of second light sources from parallel-connected to series-connected, 
 wherein the at least one first light source and the subset of the plurality of second light sources are arranged on the first portion and the trimmed second portion of the circuit board in such a way as to provide substantially uniform light. 
 
     
     
       18. The electrical circuit of  claim 17 , wherein the second portion of the circuit board further comprises a non-trimmable section that has disposed thereon at least one third light source, wherein the at least one first light source, the subset of the plurality of second light sources, and the at least one third light source are arranged on the first portion, the trimmed second portion, and the non-trimmable section of the circuit board in such a way as to provide the substantially uniform light.